Saturday, August 4, 2007
Authorities still fail to arrest July 10 perpetrators
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One dies in another bombing in Koronadal City
By Ronron
August 3, 2007
Another explosion rocked Koronadal City in South Cotabato province on Friday afternoon, killing one person and hurting another one, the provincial police commander said.
According to Sr. Supt. Robert Kuinisala, two bombs went off at around 5:25 pm inside the terminal of the Yellow Bus Line located along the Gen. Santos Drive in Koronadal City.
Kuinisala said the first explosion was at the waiting area where many people were seated. One died and another one was hurt in the incident.
A few minutes later, another blast ripped a nearby bus unit that had just finished offloading its passengers. The bus was totally burned, said Kuinisala.
He said bomb experts are determining the type of bomb used, although it initially appeared to be improvised devices.
Kuinisala said the bombings is related to the extortion attempts of the Al-Khobar Gang, having attacked for the third time yesterday this year the Yellow Bus Line following the management’s refusal to give in to the group’s demands./DMS
August 3, 2007
Another explosion rocked Koronadal City in South Cotabato province on Friday afternoon, killing one person and hurting another one, the provincial police commander said.
According to Sr. Supt. Robert Kuinisala, two bombs went off at around 5:25 pm inside the terminal of the Yellow Bus Line located along the Gen. Santos Drive in Koronadal City.
Kuinisala said the first explosion was at the waiting area where many people were seated. One died and another one was hurt in the incident.
A few minutes later, another blast ripped a nearby bus unit that had just finished offloading its passengers. The bus was totally burned, said Kuinisala.
He said bomb experts are determining the type of bomb used, although it initially appeared to be improvised devices.
Kuinisala said the bombings is related to the extortion attempts of the Al-Khobar Gang, having attacked for the third time yesterday this year the Yellow Bus Line following the management’s refusal to give in to the group’s demands./DMS
Wrong radio frequency renders military air assets useless during July 10 clash – report
Ronron
August 3, 2007
Air fighters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were more than ready to assault the Moslem rebels who ambushed Marine troopers in Basilan last July 10 but the wrong radio frequency fed to them prevented them from doing their purpose.
AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Friday that the “miscommunication” incident is just one of the lapses discovered by an internal investigating body of the military committed during that intense battle that happened in Al-Barka town for almost nine-hours.
Fourteen Marine soldiers died in said incident, 10 of whom were mutilated.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) owned up the encounter against the government troops for allegedly intruding in their territory without prior coordination, but it denied being responsible for the beheading of the soldiers.
A joint probe by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the MILF has identified Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members as among those who beheaded four of the 10 mutilated soldiers.
Bacarro disclosed that when the elements of the 1st Marine Brigade finished verifying reports about the sighting of Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi and his captors in said area earlier that day, they came under fire at around 10 am when one of their trucks got stuck in mud.
The surprise, heavy firing prompted authorities to request for air support from the operational base of the engaged troops, which is the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) in Zamboanga City.
Television reporter Jun Veneracion, who was with the engaged Marine soldiers, said the air support only arrived almost two hours later, or before 12 noon, and hovered the area without firing a single shot.
Bacarro said the Wesmincom sent a Huey chopper, an MG520 attack helicopter, and an OV10 bomber plane to the encounter site, but all failed to assault the perpetrators.
Veneracion said he saw the choppers and the plane leave the area between 1 and 2 pm.
“(Based) on the investigation conducted by the Inspector General (IG), there were some miscommunications, and one of those miscommunications (stemmed from) the conveyance of the (radio) frequency… the transmittal of the frequency from the Marine Brigade to Wesmincom,” Bacarro said.
The investigation was conducted for one week starting July 14.
“It was on general terms when the report said that the frequency that was sent to the Wesmincom was the alternate frequency. It was not the primary frequency (of the troops engaged on the ground),” Bacarro said.
And because those aboard the choppers and bomber plane had the alternate frequency, they could not communicate with the troops on the ground.
“They were not in the same frequency, that’s why initially there was no communication,” Bacarro said.
Thus, for fear that government troops and civilians might be hit due to miscalculation, the air assets opted not to fire, he said.
Bacarro was not aware if those on the choppers and bomber plane had the frequency of their base on the ground - either at the Marine Brigade headquarters, which is located in Tabiawan, Isabela City in Basilan, or at Wesmincom in Zamboanga City – where they could have sought for the correct frequencies.
“The Philippine Marine Inspector General would be the one to conduct more detailed investigation, including the other lapse pertaining to the ammunition (of 81 mm mortar that failed to fire),” he said.
Asked why those on the choppers and bomber plane did not try to change frequency when they noticed they could not establish communication with the troops on the ground, Bacarro explained: “You have to have to the primary frequency first so you can communicate each other… You cannot change frequency without the concurrence of the other.”
Bacarro said the IG report had already identified the personnel who gave the wrong frequency but his identity could not be released for now as he still remains under investigation.
“The Inspector General report has recommended to the Chief of Staff for the conduct of an investigation by the Philippine Marines Inspector General relative to some of the administrative liabilities that arose from the incident in Basilan,” he said.
But Bacarro expressed certainty that what happened was not a deliberate error.
He said they are not discounting also the possibility of the investigators laying out the criminal liability of those who are found responsible for the lapses.
Bacarro said he is not aware as to how many personnel are under investigation or may be held liable for the incident.
Asked if it would have made the situation much better for the government troops if contact was established between the air assets and those on the ground, Bacarro replied: “I would say that the air component is integral to the operation. But in this specific case, as to what would be the contribution of the air component, I cannot say. But doctrinally, the air component is crucial, is an important part of an operation.”/DMS
August 3, 2007
Air fighters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were more than ready to assault the Moslem rebels who ambushed Marine troopers in Basilan last July 10 but the wrong radio frequency fed to them prevented them from doing their purpose.
AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said Friday that the “miscommunication” incident is just one of the lapses discovered by an internal investigating body of the military committed during that intense battle that happened in Al-Barka town for almost nine-hours.
Fourteen Marine soldiers died in said incident, 10 of whom were mutilated.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) owned up the encounter against the government troops for allegedly intruding in their territory without prior coordination, but it denied being responsible for the beheading of the soldiers.
A joint probe by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the MILF has identified Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members as among those who beheaded four of the 10 mutilated soldiers.
Bacarro disclosed that when the elements of the 1st Marine Brigade finished verifying reports about the sighting of Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi and his captors in said area earlier that day, they came under fire at around 10 am when one of their trucks got stuck in mud.
The surprise, heavy firing prompted authorities to request for air support from the operational base of the engaged troops, which is the Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) in Zamboanga City.
Television reporter Jun Veneracion, who was with the engaged Marine soldiers, said the air support only arrived almost two hours later, or before 12 noon, and hovered the area without firing a single shot.
Bacarro said the Wesmincom sent a Huey chopper, an MG520 attack helicopter, and an OV10 bomber plane to the encounter site, but all failed to assault the perpetrators.
Veneracion said he saw the choppers and the plane leave the area between 1 and 2 pm.
“(Based) on the investigation conducted by the Inspector General (IG), there were some miscommunications, and one of those miscommunications (stemmed from) the conveyance of the (radio) frequency… the transmittal of the frequency from the Marine Brigade to Wesmincom,” Bacarro said.
The investigation was conducted for one week starting July 14.
“It was on general terms when the report said that the frequency that was sent to the Wesmincom was the alternate frequency. It was not the primary frequency (of the troops engaged on the ground),” Bacarro said.
And because those aboard the choppers and bomber plane had the alternate frequency, they could not communicate with the troops on the ground.
“They were not in the same frequency, that’s why initially there was no communication,” Bacarro said.
Thus, for fear that government troops and civilians might be hit due to miscalculation, the air assets opted not to fire, he said.
Bacarro was not aware if those on the choppers and bomber plane had the frequency of their base on the ground - either at the Marine Brigade headquarters, which is located in Tabiawan, Isabela City in Basilan, or at Wesmincom in Zamboanga City – where they could have sought for the correct frequencies.
“The Philippine Marine Inspector General would be the one to conduct more detailed investigation, including the other lapse pertaining to the ammunition (of 81 mm mortar that failed to fire),” he said.
Asked why those on the choppers and bomber plane did not try to change frequency when they noticed they could not establish communication with the troops on the ground, Bacarro explained: “You have to have to the primary frequency first so you can communicate each other… You cannot change frequency without the concurrence of the other.”
Bacarro said the IG report had already identified the personnel who gave the wrong frequency but his identity could not be released for now as he still remains under investigation.
“The Inspector General report has recommended to the Chief of Staff for the conduct of an investigation by the Philippine Marines Inspector General relative to some of the administrative liabilities that arose from the incident in Basilan,” he said.
But Bacarro expressed certainty that what happened was not a deliberate error.
He said they are not discounting also the possibility of the investigators laying out the criminal liability of those who are found responsible for the lapses.
Bacarro said he is not aware as to how many personnel are under investigation or may be held liable for the incident.
Asked if it would have made the situation much better for the government troops if contact was established between the air assets and those on the ground, Bacarro replied: “I would say that the air component is integral to the operation. But in this specific case, as to what would be the contribution of the air component, I cannot say. But doctrinally, the air component is crucial, is an important part of an operation.”/DMS
Friday, August 3, 2007
Four identified Abu Sayyaf members tagged as beheaders of Marines
By Ronron
August 2, 2007
Four members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were identified as among those who beheaded four of the 14 slain Marine soldiers during the July 10 incident in Basilan.
This was one of the findings of the investigation of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the July 10 incident, government officials said Thursday.
National Security Adviser and acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales identified the four ASG suspects in a news conference yesterday afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo as Suwaid Kalibon, Nurhassan Jamiri, Omar Indanga, and Puhari Jamiri.
“Actually, one of the witnesses, Nassar Tao, is a member of the 3rd Brigade of the MILF and he was one of those who joined the encounter. He said in his testimony that between 5:30 and 6 pm (of July 10), when they were starting to muster their group, they found some of their members lacking, those among the casualties. And they were advised to look for these (lacking members). In that incident, when they returned, they saw the four starting the beheading (of the soldiers),” Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, the chairman of the government CCCH, said in the news briefing.
Gonzales said 10 other ASG members who are not identified were mentioned in the report as “probably standing on the sideline and watching the atrocities,” which took place just at the encounter site in Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
“So, all in all, in the report, we can say that about 14 ASG members are involved. But since we do not have witnesses yet on what happened on the six Marines, so we don’t know whether some MILF may be involved or some other forces. We don’t know that yet,” Gonzales said.
Of the four ASG rebels identified, only Jamiri is included in the current list of the arrest warrant issued by the Basilan court and now being hunted by policemen and government soldiers.
“What will happen is we will apply for arrest warrants against the three,” Gonzales said.
Gurrea said Tao claimed knowing the four by their names.
He said they are still checking if the four ASG rebels have committed previous violations of the law.
Gurrea said they have no information though about the ASG’s participation in the actual encounter that began at 10am that day.
He said that when Tao testified, he claimed the MILF forces were on their own during the firefight and had no ASG members among them.
“The MILF has denied that (alleged collusion with the ASG) but we still ask them why there were Abu Sayyaf members there during the encounter,” Gonzales said.
Quoting Tao, he said the presence of the ASG at the firefight is only because “there is a certain barangay” near Guinanta, or some seven kilometers away from the encounter site, “where the ASG normally moves around.” Gurrea said this claim of Tao though needs to be verified.
Asked if MILF members were found to have participated in the beheading, Gurrea said: “We have no proof on that. That needs further investigation.”
While there was no mention about who could have beheaded the six other soldiers, Gonzales said he is disturbed about indications that at least two of them may still be alive before their bodies were mutilated.
Another point not cleared by the investigation is whether or not it was an ambush or a legitimate encounter.
“The investigation just focused on the perpetrators of the beheading. There are other side questions that need to be discussed further. It is still being debated upon if it was an encounter or an ambush,” Gonzales said.
“But the report submitted is very good. It has lots of details. But it doesn’t mean that the investigation is complete. The report itself say so,” he added.
Gonzales said that now that the CCCH has already completed the fact-finding mission, then nothing should stop the punitive actions in Basilan.
He said the police, supported by soldiers, can proceed with the service of the arrest warrant issued by a Basilan court against the identified 127 suspects.
Gurrea clarified that their 22 witnesses are not the same witnesses that were the basis for the existing arrest warrant.
He said they also did not come up with a list of other suspects, other than the four identified ASG members.
Defense Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said in the same briefing that should the rest of the 127 identified suspects with arrest warrants complain and ask for a motion for reinvestigation based on the findings of the joint CCCH investigation, the government will not object to it.
“A motion for reinvestigation is a right that is given to all respondents,” he said.
Gonzales disclosed that the six recommendations of the fact-finding report are the following: 1) ASG members responsible for beheadings/mutilation should be interdicted (by the MILF), pursuant to established ceasefire mechanisms; 2) Revisit/strengthen the Ceasefire Agreement to responsive to similar situations; 3) the Adhoc Joint Action Group coordinating mechanism of the government and the MILF must be reactivated immediately; 4) Advocacy of the peace process to all sectors to ensure strict adherence to the Ceasefire Agreement; 5) Firearms and equipment taken from Marines must be returned; and, 6) Review of criminal information against (127) MILF, local politicians, and law enforcement personnel in view of the recent findings.
Gonzales said that since the operations in Basilan will go full swing already, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) will go there on Monday to make sure that civilians are not caught in possible armed confrontations if the situation escalates./DMS
August 2, 2007
Four members of the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) were identified as among those who beheaded four of the 14 slain Marine soldiers during the July 10 incident in Basilan.
This was one of the findings of the investigation of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on the July 10 incident, government officials said Thursday.
National Security Adviser and acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales identified the four ASG suspects in a news conference yesterday afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo as Suwaid Kalibon, Nurhassan Jamiri, Omar Indanga, and Puhari Jamiri.
“Actually, one of the witnesses, Nassar Tao, is a member of the 3rd Brigade of the MILF and he was one of those who joined the encounter. He said in his testimony that between 5:30 and 6 pm (of July 10), when they were starting to muster their group, they found some of their members lacking, those among the casualties. And they were advised to look for these (lacking members). In that incident, when they returned, they saw the four starting the beheading (of the soldiers),” Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, the chairman of the government CCCH, said in the news briefing.
Gonzales said 10 other ASG members who are not identified were mentioned in the report as “probably standing on the sideline and watching the atrocities,” which took place just at the encounter site in Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
“So, all in all, in the report, we can say that about 14 ASG members are involved. But since we do not have witnesses yet on what happened on the six Marines, so we don’t know whether some MILF may be involved or some other forces. We don’t know that yet,” Gonzales said.
Of the four ASG rebels identified, only Jamiri is included in the current list of the arrest warrant issued by the Basilan court and now being hunted by policemen and government soldiers.
“What will happen is we will apply for arrest warrants against the three,” Gonzales said.
Gurrea said Tao claimed knowing the four by their names.
He said they are still checking if the four ASG rebels have committed previous violations of the law.
Gurrea said they have no information though about the ASG’s participation in the actual encounter that began at 10am that day.
He said that when Tao testified, he claimed the MILF forces were on their own during the firefight and had no ASG members among them.
“The MILF has denied that (alleged collusion with the ASG) but we still ask them why there were Abu Sayyaf members there during the encounter,” Gonzales said.
Quoting Tao, he said the presence of the ASG at the firefight is only because “there is a certain barangay” near Guinanta, or some seven kilometers away from the encounter site, “where the ASG normally moves around.” Gurrea said this claim of Tao though needs to be verified.
Asked if MILF members were found to have participated in the beheading, Gurrea said: “We have no proof on that. That needs further investigation.”
While there was no mention about who could have beheaded the six other soldiers, Gonzales said he is disturbed about indications that at least two of them may still be alive before their bodies were mutilated.
Another point not cleared by the investigation is whether or not it was an ambush or a legitimate encounter.
“The investigation just focused on the perpetrators of the beheading. There are other side questions that need to be discussed further. It is still being debated upon if it was an encounter or an ambush,” Gonzales said.
“But the report submitted is very good. It has lots of details. But it doesn’t mean that the investigation is complete. The report itself say so,” he added.
Gonzales said that now that the CCCH has already completed the fact-finding mission, then nothing should stop the punitive actions in Basilan.
He said the police, supported by soldiers, can proceed with the service of the arrest warrant issued by a Basilan court against the identified 127 suspects.
Gurrea clarified that their 22 witnesses are not the same witnesses that were the basis for the existing arrest warrant.
He said they also did not come up with a list of other suspects, other than the four identified ASG members.
Defense Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor said in the same briefing that should the rest of the 127 identified suspects with arrest warrants complain and ask for a motion for reinvestigation based on the findings of the joint CCCH investigation, the government will not object to it.
“A motion for reinvestigation is a right that is given to all respondents,” he said.
Gonzales disclosed that the six recommendations of the fact-finding report are the following: 1) ASG members responsible for beheadings/mutilation should be interdicted (by the MILF), pursuant to established ceasefire mechanisms; 2) Revisit/strengthen the Ceasefire Agreement to responsive to similar situations; 3) the Adhoc Joint Action Group coordinating mechanism of the government and the MILF must be reactivated immediately; 4) Advocacy of the peace process to all sectors to ensure strict adherence to the Ceasefire Agreement; 5) Firearms and equipment taken from Marines must be returned; and, 6) Review of criminal information against (127) MILF, local politicians, and law enforcement personnel in view of the recent findings.
Gonzales said that since the operations in Basilan will go full swing already, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) will go there on Monday to make sure that civilians are not caught in possible armed confrontations if the situation escalates./DMS
Four Japanese doing porn film nabbed in Cebu
By Ronron
August 2, 2007
Four Japanese nationals were caught by police shooting a pornographic film last Wednesday afternoon at a remote side of an island in the central Philippines popular for its bird sanctuary.
Supt. Louie Oppus, chief of the Lapu-lapu City Police in Cebu province, said yesterday that the foreigners include a Japanese female and three Japanese men, who were immediately nabbed for alleged violation of domestic laws on morality and decency in public.
The female was identified as Miyawaki Yuki, 26, while the three men were identified as Yokomizo Masashi, 36; Takimoto Yuichiro, 40, and Izuno Hiroaki, 24. All four are natives of Tokyo, and are temporarily staying at the Midtown Hotel in nearby Cebu City.
PO2 Christian Torres, officer-on-case, said Yuki and Masashi were the ones engaged in the sexual activity, while Yuichiro and Hiroaki were doing the filming.
Torres said Olango Island Bird’s Sanctuary Park Warden members Socrates Sagarino and Ruben Taneo, both employed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region VII, found the four at around 5pm the other day (Wednesday) through a telescope.
“We immediately informed the police officers of Olango Island, Lapu-lapu City about the ongoing sexual intercourse between two Japanese nationals… Together with the police officers, we proceeded at the place and upon arrival, we … caught in the act the four Japanese nationals engaged in exhibit of indecent and immoral acts while performing sexual intercourse at the sea shore under coverage of several units of video cameras with film for preservation and for viewing in the near future, which are offensive to morals, public policy, and contrary to law,” Sagarino and Taneo said in a joint affidavit.
Recovered from the four Japanese were five video cameras, three camera lenses, two pieces of video tapes, one piece used condom, five pieces of unused condom, and five pieces of assorted battery pack.
The four were charged yesterday before the city prosecutor’s office for violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code. The case was immediately raffled to Lapu-lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 27, which granted the bail of P24,000 for each of the accused.
“They were out on bail at 5pm, although there is an urgent motion before the sala of Judge Toribio Quiwag for the issuance of a hold departure order against the four. The hearing of said motion will be done tomorrow (Friday),” Torres said.
Torres said the four claimed to have other companions at the hotel but they cannot operate because it is already outside of their jurisdiction. He said they already informed the Cebu Provincial Police Office about it for proper action.
Masashi is said to be a comedic actor in Japan, while Yuichiro works at a photo developing shop in Tokyo.
They arrived in Cebu last July 29 and were scheduled to leave on August 8./DMS
August 2, 2007
Four Japanese nationals were caught by police shooting a pornographic film last Wednesday afternoon at a remote side of an island in the central Philippines popular for its bird sanctuary.
Supt. Louie Oppus, chief of the Lapu-lapu City Police in Cebu province, said yesterday that the foreigners include a Japanese female and three Japanese men, who were immediately nabbed for alleged violation of domestic laws on morality and decency in public.
The female was identified as Miyawaki Yuki, 26, while the three men were identified as Yokomizo Masashi, 36; Takimoto Yuichiro, 40, and Izuno Hiroaki, 24. All four are natives of Tokyo, and are temporarily staying at the Midtown Hotel in nearby Cebu City.
PO2 Christian Torres, officer-on-case, said Yuki and Masashi were the ones engaged in the sexual activity, while Yuichiro and Hiroaki were doing the filming.
Torres said Olango Island Bird’s Sanctuary Park Warden members Socrates Sagarino and Ruben Taneo, both employed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region VII, found the four at around 5pm the other day (Wednesday) through a telescope.
“We immediately informed the police officers of Olango Island, Lapu-lapu City about the ongoing sexual intercourse between two Japanese nationals… Together with the police officers, we proceeded at the place and upon arrival, we … caught in the act the four Japanese nationals engaged in exhibit of indecent and immoral acts while performing sexual intercourse at the sea shore under coverage of several units of video cameras with film for preservation and for viewing in the near future, which are offensive to morals, public policy, and contrary to law,” Sagarino and Taneo said in a joint affidavit.
Recovered from the four Japanese were five video cameras, three camera lenses, two pieces of video tapes, one piece used condom, five pieces of unused condom, and five pieces of assorted battery pack.
The four were charged yesterday before the city prosecutor’s office for violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code. The case was immediately raffled to Lapu-lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 27, which granted the bail of P24,000 for each of the accused.
“They were out on bail at 5pm, although there is an urgent motion before the sala of Judge Toribio Quiwag for the issuance of a hold departure order against the four. The hearing of said motion will be done tomorrow (Friday),” Torres said.
Torres said the four claimed to have other companions at the hotel but they cannot operate because it is already outside of their jurisdiction. He said they already informed the Cebu Provincial Police Office about it for proper action.
Masashi is said to be a comedic actor in Japan, while Yuichiro works at a photo developing shop in Tokyo.
They arrived in Cebu last July 29 and were scheduled to leave on August 8./DMS
Service of arrest warrants in Basilan resume
By Ronron
August 2, 2007
Policemen in Basilan resumed on Thursday morning serving arrest warrants against suspects behind the death of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town following the completion of the investigation of the ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) last Wednesday.
Basilan Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Salik Macapantar said a company of policemen, numbering no more than 100, backed up by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), started their operations at 5am.
Macapantar said the troops went to Al-Barka, Tipo-tipo and their adjacent towns to look for the 127 personalities identified in an arrest warrant issued last July 26 by Basilan Judge Leo Lay Principe.
The warrant stemmed from the multiple murder and frustrated multiple murder case filed by the military against the suspected perpetrators.
“We will now proceed (with the service of the warrants) until the 10th day lapses (on August 9,” Macapantar said in a phone interview yesterday.
As of 5pm, Macapantar said he has yet to receive a report about an arrest made or an armed confrontation between the arresting team and their subjects.
He said they are still using the list of 127 identified suspects since the findings of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) has yet to be adopted on their operations.
“Our men are checking houses, and we are also coordinating with barangay officials and local religious leaders. As you know, Al-Barka is already like a ghost town because the residents there have already fled. That’s why we are extending to other places,” said Macapantar.
He believes though that the suspects remain within Basilan island, they have not even gone far from Al-Barka.
Should the 10-day deadline lapse without them arresting their targets, Macapantar said they will apply for an alias warrant of arrest so they could continue the hunt for the suspects./DMS
August 2, 2007
Policemen in Basilan resumed on Thursday morning serving arrest warrants against suspects behind the death of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 in Al-Barka town following the completion of the investigation of the ceasefire committee of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) last Wednesday.
Basilan Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Salik Macapantar said a company of policemen, numbering no more than 100, backed up by elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), started their operations at 5am.
Macapantar said the troops went to Al-Barka, Tipo-tipo and their adjacent towns to look for the 127 personalities identified in an arrest warrant issued last July 26 by Basilan Judge Leo Lay Principe.
The warrant stemmed from the multiple murder and frustrated multiple murder case filed by the military against the suspected perpetrators.
“We will now proceed (with the service of the warrants) until the 10th day lapses (on August 9,” Macapantar said in a phone interview yesterday.
As of 5pm, Macapantar said he has yet to receive a report about an arrest made or an armed confrontation between the arresting team and their subjects.
He said they are still using the list of 127 identified suspects since the findings of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) has yet to be adopted on their operations.
“Our men are checking houses, and we are also coordinating with barangay officials and local religious leaders. As you know, Al-Barka is already like a ghost town because the residents there have already fled. That’s why we are extending to other places,” said Macapantar.
He believes though that the suspects remain within Basilan island, they have not even gone far from Al-Barka.
Should the 10-day deadline lapse without them arresting their targets, Macapantar said they will apply for an alias warrant of arrest so they could continue the hunt for the suspects./DMS
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Authorities says it will proceed now (again) in serving arrest warrants against MILF and ASG rebels following completion of CCCH probe
By Ronron
August 1, 2007
The operations in Basilan against suspected perpetrators of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 will proceed again today (Thursday) following the completion of the investigation of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) yesterday.
“Yeah, at our own pace, at our own time,” said Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, commander of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, when asked yesterday afternoon by phone if they will proceed the serving of arrest warrants today (Thursday) in Basilan.
The police in Basilan received last July 30 the arrest warrant against 127 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) believed responsible for the July 10 incident in Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
Fourteen of the killed soldiers in that incident were later found mutilated.
The government initially gave the MILF until July 22 to turn over its members involved in the killing, otherwise, it will launch punitive police actions starting July 23. But the operations did not push through as the forces in Basilan said they are still awaiting the arrest warrants against their target.
Then, on July 27, a day after a judge in Basilan issued an arrest warrant against 127 personalities charged with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder for the July 10 incident, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the punitive actions should be postponed until July 31 to give time for the CCCH Fact-Finding Mission to complete its probe.
But again, the government ordered a calling off of the operations four hours after it kicked off last Tuesday morning since the CCCH is still not finished. Officials said the mission asked for an extension until midnight of Wednesday.
In an earlier interview by phone yesterday, MILF CCCH chair Von Al-Haq said the have already finished their investigation and they are expecting to sign at the end of the day the report.
He said the report will then be submitted to the chairmen of both the government and MILF peace panels.
Al-Haq did not disclose the initial findings of the probe saying he has to read it but he hinted of the possibility that the 127 names in the existing arrest warrant may have to be trimmed down.
“It’s possible that the names in the warrant will be reduced,” he said in Filipino.
Reached for comment about this, Goltiao said the police has an open-mind about this, in fact, “we can await the result of the investigation.”
“That now depends on the judge (to reconcile the number of suspects),” Goltiao said of the possible need to trim down the list.
For his part, government lead negotiator with the MILF, retired Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, said it will be up to the Department of Justice “to look into the process” of “cleaning up” the list.
Garcia said if the investigation comes out with its own list different from that now in the hands of the police, it should be honored because “ours is a very detailed process in getting the information.”
“The moment the fact-finding report is out, we might need for a legal process to amend the (127) names as it could not be served anymore,” Garcia said of the existing arrest warrant.
He said the Secretary of the National Defense may be the one who will disclose the CCCH investigation findings to the media.
But Goltiao said they might not really be able to arrest any of the suspects today because they are concentrating on their intelligence gathering.
The police official has said that when some 300 policemen went to Al-Barka last Tuesday morning to start the service of the arrest warrants, the place was “almost abandoned,” with houses only being occupied by women and children.
He said they have received information that some of the suspects escaped to the next town of Tipo-tipo.
Goltiao did not say how many troops they will use for today’s operations and what time they will start “so we cannot let our targets escape.”
“We don’t want publicity anymore,” he said./DMS
August 1, 2007
The operations in Basilan against suspected perpetrators of 14 Marine soldiers last July 10 will proceed again today (Thursday) following the completion of the investigation of the joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) yesterday.
“Yeah, at our own pace, at our own time,” said Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, commander of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, when asked yesterday afternoon by phone if they will proceed the serving of arrest warrants today (Thursday) in Basilan.
The police in Basilan received last July 30 the arrest warrant against 127 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) believed responsible for the July 10 incident in Barangay Guinanta in Al-Barka town.
Fourteen of the killed soldiers in that incident were later found mutilated.
The government initially gave the MILF until July 22 to turn over its members involved in the killing, otherwise, it will launch punitive police actions starting July 23. But the operations did not push through as the forces in Basilan said they are still awaiting the arrest warrants against their target.
Then, on July 27, a day after a judge in Basilan issued an arrest warrant against 127 personalities charged with multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder for the July 10 incident, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said the punitive actions should be postponed until July 31 to give time for the CCCH Fact-Finding Mission to complete its probe.
But again, the government ordered a calling off of the operations four hours after it kicked off last Tuesday morning since the CCCH is still not finished. Officials said the mission asked for an extension until midnight of Wednesday.
In an earlier interview by phone yesterday, MILF CCCH chair Von Al-Haq said the have already finished their investigation and they are expecting to sign at the end of the day the report.
He said the report will then be submitted to the chairmen of both the government and MILF peace panels.
Al-Haq did not disclose the initial findings of the probe saying he has to read it but he hinted of the possibility that the 127 names in the existing arrest warrant may have to be trimmed down.
“It’s possible that the names in the warrant will be reduced,” he said in Filipino.
Reached for comment about this, Goltiao said the police has an open-mind about this, in fact, “we can await the result of the investigation.”
“That now depends on the judge (to reconcile the number of suspects),” Goltiao said of the possible need to trim down the list.
For his part, government lead negotiator with the MILF, retired Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, said it will be up to the Department of Justice “to look into the process” of “cleaning up” the list.
Garcia said if the investigation comes out with its own list different from that now in the hands of the police, it should be honored because “ours is a very detailed process in getting the information.”
“The moment the fact-finding report is out, we might need for a legal process to amend the (127) names as it could not be served anymore,” Garcia said of the existing arrest warrant.
He said the Secretary of the National Defense may be the one who will disclose the CCCH investigation findings to the media.
But Goltiao said they might not really be able to arrest any of the suspects today because they are concentrating on their intelligence gathering.
The police official has said that when some 300 policemen went to Al-Barka last Tuesday morning to start the service of the arrest warrants, the place was “almost abandoned,” with houses only being occupied by women and children.
He said they have received information that some of the suspects escaped to the next town of Tipo-tipo.
Goltiao did not say how many troops they will use for today’s operations and what time they will start “so we cannot let our targets escape.”
“We don’t want publicity anymore,” he said./DMS
AFP Educational Benefits System to deal for the first time with illegitimate kids
By Ronron
August 1, 2007
The Philippine military’s Educational Benefits System (EBS) is confronted for the first time with the problem of whether or not it will extend its services to the illegitimate children of one of the killed 14 Marine soldiers in the July 10 incident in Basilan.
During the awarding yesterday of scholarship certificates to families of some of the killed soldiers, officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) EBS were not aware that Corporal Russel Panaga, one of the 14 killed, had children with two different women, but none with the third one he married.
“We will have to check that (case) because we have a policy on who is allowed to receive the benefits… The policy is it should only be the legal dependents,” said Lt. Col. Rizaldo Limoso, the General Manager of the AFP EBS.
Panaga, 30, one of the 10 mutilated out of the 14, has two children with Maridel from Sorsogon, and one with Theresa from Davao. But he has no child yet with Marilou of Rizal whom he married seven months ago.
During the awarding ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, all three women, donned in black blouses, went on stage to receive one scholarship certificate from the AFP EBS. Marilou received the framed certificate, while Maridel and Theresa followed, bringing along one kid each.
Asked after the ceremony if Panaga’s children with Maridel and Theresa are entitled to the scholarship benefits, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog, who is also the AFP EBS Board of Trustees Chairman, said: “That needs a careful investigation because supposed to be, it should only be legal dependents.”
“We have to review the case because that is different. Of course, we have to consider the fact that these kids are also his,” Cadungog said.
Limoso would not say yet about the likelihood of Panaga’s illegitimate children being granted the benefits of dependents of fallen soldiers.
He said that since the creation of the AFP EBS in August 2000, more than 6,500 dependents of soldiers have availed of its scholarship grants, from pre-school level up to college. None of these were illegitimate dependents.
But Maj. Gen. Napoleon Malana, the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff (J1), is giving a little hope, saying that the law now is kinder to illegitimate children. “As long as there is proof of parenthood, that can be allowed,” he said.
In a separate interview, Maridel and Theresa were of the impression that their children can avail of the scholarship grant from the AFP EBS as they were invited to attend yesterday’s event.
They were even thankful that the military is extending the services to their children despite their illegitimacy.
Maridel’s children are aged four and two, while Theresa’s is three.
Panaga was among the elements of the 1st Marine Brigade who searched for abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi in Basilan when they came under fire in the morning of July 10 at Barangay Guinanta, Al-Barka.
The government said the perpetrators were mixed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), and other local lawless elements.
Bossi has since been released nine days after the encounter.
The police and military are expected to serve arrest warrants to 127 identified suspected perpetrators starting Thursday./DMS
August 1, 2007
The Philippine military’s Educational Benefits System (EBS) is confronted for the first time with the problem of whether or not it will extend its services to the illegitimate children of one of the killed 14 Marine soldiers in the July 10 incident in Basilan.
During the awarding yesterday of scholarship certificates to families of some of the killed soldiers, officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) EBS were not aware that Corporal Russel Panaga, one of the 14 killed, had children with two different women, but none with the third one he married.
“We will have to check that (case) because we have a policy on who is allowed to receive the benefits… The policy is it should only be the legal dependents,” said Lt. Col. Rizaldo Limoso, the General Manager of the AFP EBS.
Panaga, 30, one of the 10 mutilated out of the 14, has two children with Maridel from Sorsogon, and one with Theresa from Davao. But he has no child yet with Marilou of Rizal whom he married seven months ago.
During the awarding ceremony held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, all three women, donned in black blouses, went on stage to receive one scholarship certificate from the AFP EBS. Marilou received the framed certificate, while Maridel and Theresa followed, bringing along one kid each.
Asked after the ceremony if Panaga’s children with Maridel and Theresa are entitled to the scholarship benefits, AFP Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Pedrito Cadungog, who is also the AFP EBS Board of Trustees Chairman, said: “That needs a careful investigation because supposed to be, it should only be legal dependents.”
“We have to review the case because that is different. Of course, we have to consider the fact that these kids are also his,” Cadungog said.
Limoso would not say yet about the likelihood of Panaga’s illegitimate children being granted the benefits of dependents of fallen soldiers.
He said that since the creation of the AFP EBS in August 2000, more than 6,500 dependents of soldiers have availed of its scholarship grants, from pre-school level up to college. None of these were illegitimate dependents.
But Maj. Gen. Napoleon Malana, the AFP Deputy Chief of Staff (J1), is giving a little hope, saying that the law now is kinder to illegitimate children. “As long as there is proof of parenthood, that can be allowed,” he said.
In a separate interview, Maridel and Theresa were of the impression that their children can avail of the scholarship grant from the AFP EBS as they were invited to attend yesterday’s event.
They were even thankful that the military is extending the services to their children despite their illegitimacy.
Maridel’s children are aged four and two, while Theresa’s is three.
Panaga was among the elements of the 1st Marine Brigade who searched for abducted Italian Catholic priest Fr. Gian Carlo Bossi in Basilan when they came under fire in the morning of July 10 at Barangay Guinanta, Al-Barka.
The government said the perpetrators were mixed members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), and other local lawless elements.
Bossi has since been released nine days after the encounter.
The police and military are expected to serve arrest warrants to 127 identified suspected perpetrators starting Thursday./DMS
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Drugs agency worried with lack of personnel
By Ronron
July 31, 2007
An official of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has expressed worry about the agency’s ability to perform because of its current lack of personnel.
Assistant Secretary Rodolfo Caisip, Deputy Director General for Operations of PDEA, told a news forum yesterday in Camp Crame that the agency currently only has 104 personnel after some 500 personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were recalled effective July 4 as mandated by law.
“We are really quite worried because PDEA is operating nationwide. With this, we really can’t perform because we are really lacking in number,” Caisip said in Filipino.
He said the PDEA is currently monitoring about a hundred local illegal drugs syndicates and six foreign syndicates in the country, which they hope to strike on soon.
Caisip took pride in the fact that almost 50 clandestine laboratories and over 40 illegal drugs warehouses were dismantled by different operations led by the PDEA in the last five years, or since 2002.
“This recall of police personnel will really result to a setback in our operations but it will only be temporary,” Caisip said.
The recall of the 500 policemen to the PNP last July is provided for in Section 86 of the Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. It is the same law that created the PDEA.
Caisip said that while they are in close coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the PNP, and the Bureau of Customs in the conduct of their operations, having their own personnel is equally important.
Caisip said they are currently requesting 200 policemen to be reassigned for a six months to one year at the PDEA, 80 of which already have the approval of PNP chief Gen. Oscar Calderon but still awaiting the final action of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
The move is based on Executive Order 218 that allows PDEA to tap personnel of the anti-illegal drugs task forces of various agencies like the PNP and the NBI.
Caisip said this is meant to fill in the job that is supposed to be done by 400 PDEA agents and employees still to be recruited and trained this year.
Caisip said they are finding consolation in the fact that 107 policemen are seeking to transfer to the PDEA because they will no longer be trained from scratch.
Based on the plan, the PDEA wants to have 1,943 personnel to be able to function well, said Caisip. These include agents, technical people and civilian employees.
He said PDEA has a budget of P600 million only per year./DMS
July 31, 2007
An official of the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has expressed worry about the agency’s ability to perform because of its current lack of personnel.
Assistant Secretary Rodolfo Caisip, Deputy Director General for Operations of PDEA, told a news forum yesterday in Camp Crame that the agency currently only has 104 personnel after some 500 personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were recalled effective July 4 as mandated by law.
“We are really quite worried because PDEA is operating nationwide. With this, we really can’t perform because we are really lacking in number,” Caisip said in Filipino.
He said the PDEA is currently monitoring about a hundred local illegal drugs syndicates and six foreign syndicates in the country, which they hope to strike on soon.
Caisip took pride in the fact that almost 50 clandestine laboratories and over 40 illegal drugs warehouses were dismantled by different operations led by the PDEA in the last five years, or since 2002.
“This recall of police personnel will really result to a setback in our operations but it will only be temporary,” Caisip said.
The recall of the 500 policemen to the PNP last July is provided for in Section 86 of the Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. It is the same law that created the PDEA.
Caisip said that while they are in close coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the PNP, and the Bureau of Customs in the conduct of their operations, having their own personnel is equally important.
Caisip said they are currently requesting 200 policemen to be reassigned for a six months to one year at the PDEA, 80 of which already have the approval of PNP chief Gen. Oscar Calderon but still awaiting the final action of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
The move is based on Executive Order 218 that allows PDEA to tap personnel of the anti-illegal drugs task forces of various agencies like the PNP and the NBI.
Caisip said this is meant to fill in the job that is supposed to be done by 400 PDEA agents and employees still to be recruited and trained this year.
Caisip said they are finding consolation in the fact that 107 policemen are seeking to transfer to the PDEA because they will no longer be trained from scratch.
Based on the plan, the PDEA wants to have 1,943 personnel to be able to function well, said Caisip. These include agents, technical people and civilian employees.
He said PDEA has a budget of P600 million only per year./DMS
Five communist rebels killed in separate clashes with government troops in Camarines Sur and Isabela
By Ronron
July 31, 2007
Five suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes Monday against government forces in Camarines Sur and Isabela provinces.
1Lt. Dennis Guillermo, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said Tuesday that the first encounter happened in San Mariano town in Isabela at around 6:30 am that resulted in the overrunning of an NPA camp.
Guillermo said elements of the 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company were conducting combat operations when they arrived at the targeted NPA camp tipped off to the military by “reliable informants.”
The said camp, which was allegedly used “as the NPA staging ground for conducting extortion, robbery, cattle rustling and other illegal activities, was located at Sitio Lumalog, Barangay Cadsalan in San Mariano, said Guillermo.
An undetermined number of rebels at the camp engaged the government troops in a heavy firefight for about two hours, until the former withdrew to different directions.
The rebels left behind the bodies of their three comrades killed in the clash. The government troops were brought to the nearest mortuary in town for decent funeral services, Guillermo said.
Private First Class Jose Fernandez from the government side was wounded and was evacuated by chopper to Camp Melchor dela Cruz Station Hospital in Gamu town for medical treatment, said Guillermo.
A clearing operations at the abandoned camp led the government troopers to recover one M16 rifle, five hand grenades, high explosives detonating cords, electrical wires and materials, medical and dental paraphernalia, 10 jungle packs, and four sacks of other personal belongings and documents, said Guillermo.
He said the camp had 20 bunkers, which can accommodate about 60 persons, a kitchen, a classroom, a latrine, and three guard posts.
At 5:30 pm, the second clash erupted in Calabanga town, Camarines Sur, said Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Parayno said elements of the 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operations at Barangay Burabod of said town when they clashed with undetermined number of suspected NPA fighters.
The firefight left two rebels killed, and the recovery of two M16 rifles, said Parayno.
No one was hurt in the government side.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years and the government hopes to crush them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.
Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as a terrorist by United States and European Union governments./DMS
July 31, 2007
Five suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in two separate clashes Monday against government forces in Camarines Sur and Isabela provinces.
1Lt. Dennis Guillermo, spokesman of the Philippine Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said Tuesday that the first encounter happened in San Mariano town in Isabela at around 6:30 am that resulted in the overrunning of an NPA camp.
Guillermo said elements of the 52nd Division Reconnaissance Company were conducting combat operations when they arrived at the targeted NPA camp tipped off to the military by “reliable informants.”
The said camp, which was allegedly used “as the NPA staging ground for conducting extortion, robbery, cattle rustling and other illegal activities, was located at Sitio Lumalog, Barangay Cadsalan in San Mariano, said Guillermo.
An undetermined number of rebels at the camp engaged the government troops in a heavy firefight for about two hours, until the former withdrew to different directions.
The rebels left behind the bodies of their three comrades killed in the clash. The government troops were brought to the nearest mortuary in town for decent funeral services, Guillermo said.
Private First Class Jose Fernandez from the government side was wounded and was evacuated by chopper to Camp Melchor dela Cruz Station Hospital in Gamu town for medical treatment, said Guillermo.
A clearing operations at the abandoned camp led the government troopers to recover one M16 rifle, five hand grenades, high explosives detonating cords, electrical wires and materials, medical and dental paraphernalia, 10 jungle packs, and four sacks of other personal belongings and documents, said Guillermo.
He said the camp had 20 bunkers, which can accommodate about 60 persons, a kitchen, a classroom, a latrine, and three guard posts.
At 5:30 pm, the second clash erupted in Calabanga town, Camarines Sur, said Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Parayno said elements of the 42nd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operations at Barangay Burabod of said town when they clashed with undetermined number of suspected NPA fighters.
The firefight left two rebels killed, and the recovery of two M16 rifles, said Parayno.
No one was hurt in the government side.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years and the government hopes to crush them by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.
Peace talks between the government and the communist movement bogged down in August 2004 after the latter was tagged as a terrorist by United States and European Union governments./DMS
Government commissions additional planes for cloud-seeding operations
By Ronron
July 31, 2007
The Philippine government is now using eight aircrafts to conduct cloud-seeding operations in northern and central Luzon to cushion the impact of the dry spell the country is experiencing.
Office of Civil Defense Administrator Glen Rabonza told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo that the five additional aircrafts to the three that have started cloud-seeding operations about two weeks ago started participating in the activity yesterday (Tuesday).
“We’re producing rains but we need to produce more because the area where we need to induce rain is widespread,” Rabonza said in a phone-patch interview.
He said one aircraft was added to the one being used in Bulacan; two were added to the one being used in La Union; and another two were added to the one being used in Cagayan Valley.
Except for the two Philippine Air Force aircrafts being used in La Union and in Cagayan Valley, the six other aircrafts are private and are being paid for by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Soil and Water Management.
Rabonza said each aircraft was contracted at P1.7 million for twice a day operations for one month. The said amount would also include expenses for chemicals, cost of fuel, salt, and other logistics.
“It is daily because we need that while the dry spell is continuing,” Rabonza said.
He said it is the assessment of the Agriculture department that the use of eight aircrafts would be enough to produce more rains.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo alarmed the country around two weeks ago about the dry spell, which, if it stays on until this month, could result to the country experiencing a drought in September.
The “weird” weather condition is being blamed by experts to global warming./DMS
July 31, 2007
The Philippine government is now using eight aircrafts to conduct cloud-seeding operations in northern and central Luzon to cushion the impact of the dry spell the country is experiencing.
Office of Civil Defense Administrator Glen Rabonza told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo that the five additional aircrafts to the three that have started cloud-seeding operations about two weeks ago started participating in the activity yesterday (Tuesday).
“We’re producing rains but we need to produce more because the area where we need to induce rain is widespread,” Rabonza said in a phone-patch interview.
He said one aircraft was added to the one being used in Bulacan; two were added to the one being used in La Union; and another two were added to the one being used in Cagayan Valley.
Except for the two Philippine Air Force aircrafts being used in La Union and in Cagayan Valley, the six other aircrafts are private and are being paid for by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Soil and Water Management.
Rabonza said each aircraft was contracted at P1.7 million for twice a day operations for one month. The said amount would also include expenses for chemicals, cost of fuel, salt, and other logistics.
“It is daily because we need that while the dry spell is continuing,” Rabonza said.
He said it is the assessment of the Agriculture department that the use of eight aircrafts would be enough to produce more rains.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo alarmed the country around two weeks ago about the dry spell, which, if it stays on until this month, could result to the country experiencing a drought in September.
The “weird” weather condition is being blamed by experts to global warming./DMS
Military deploys more troops in Metro, more being planned for three other cities
By Ronron
July 31, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sent off Tuesday afternoon more of its civil-military operatives to Metro Manila as part of its Community Development (CODE) program.
Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion of the Philippine Army, said 15 teams of 10 to 12 operatives each were deployed to Manila City following requests of barangay leaders in the area.
The deployment of said troops follows the deployment a few weeks ago of three teams to Taguig City and six teams to Quezon City. About to be deployed by the second week of August are three teams also for Caloocan City.
“They will just return to the areas where we deployed our troops before,” Visaya said.
Visaya said the military troops will initially stay for three to four months in their respective areas of assignment. But they can be extended based on the assessment of the condition of their areas of assessment.
Visaya noted that criminal incidents in the places of deployment have risen after the pull out of previous troops last May.
Asked if there was also recruitment by Leftists in those areas during their absence, Visaya said: “Yes. And the recruitment is rampant and they are even fastracking now because they want to go with their tactical offensives… This is what we are trying to prevent.”
Visaya it is for this reason that the chief executive of Malabon City sought also for deployment of soldiers in his area of responsibility.
Similar plans are also being planned in Marikina City and Navotas City, he added.
He said the plan is to prepare four to five teams for each of the new three cities, and to concretize it by this month (August).
From November last year until before the May 14 polls, some 260 soldiers were immersed in different barangays in the cities of Manila, Taguig, Quezon and Caloocan, which, militant groups criticized as too risky for an urban area and a means for government to convince people not to vote party-list groups perceived to be aligning with the communist movement.
But the military establishment maintained it is just in line with their mandate in the Constitution, which is to protect the people and the State./DMS
July 31, 2007
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sent off Tuesday afternoon more of its civil-military operatives to Metro Manila as part of its Community Development (CODE) program.
Col. Ricardo Visaya, commander of the Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion of the Philippine Army, said 15 teams of 10 to 12 operatives each were deployed to Manila City following requests of barangay leaders in the area.
The deployment of said troops follows the deployment a few weeks ago of three teams to Taguig City and six teams to Quezon City. About to be deployed by the second week of August are three teams also for Caloocan City.
“They will just return to the areas where we deployed our troops before,” Visaya said.
Visaya said the military troops will initially stay for three to four months in their respective areas of assignment. But they can be extended based on the assessment of the condition of their areas of assessment.
Visaya noted that criminal incidents in the places of deployment have risen after the pull out of previous troops last May.
Asked if there was also recruitment by Leftists in those areas during their absence, Visaya said: “Yes. And the recruitment is rampant and they are even fastracking now because they want to go with their tactical offensives… This is what we are trying to prevent.”
Visaya it is for this reason that the chief executive of Malabon City sought also for deployment of soldiers in his area of responsibility.
Similar plans are also being planned in Marikina City and Navotas City, he added.
He said the plan is to prepare four to five teams for each of the new three cities, and to concretize it by this month (August).
From November last year until before the May 14 polls, some 260 soldiers were immersed in different barangays in the cities of Manila, Taguig, Quezon and Caloocan, which, militant groups criticized as too risky for an urban area and a means for government to convince people not to vote party-list groups perceived to be aligning with the communist movement.
But the military establishment maintained it is just in line with their mandate in the Constitution, which is to protect the people and the State./DMS
Authorities suspend punitive actions in Basilan for more time for investigation
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Trillanes can’t attend Senate sessions – Court
By Ronron
July 30, 2007
A court in Makati City denied the plea of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to attend sessions at the Senate building in Pasay City, set up an office in his detention cell, accept staff members there, and grant media interviews.
In an 11-page order dated July 25, 2007 but released only Monday, Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 said granting the requests of Trillanes would be like treating him differently from other inmates.
Pimentel based his decision on the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of former Zamboanga del Norte Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, a convicted child rapist, which goes in part: “Allowing accused-appellant to attend Congressional sessions and committee meetings for five days or more in a week will virtually make him a free man with all the privilege appurtenant to his position. Such an aberrant situation not only elevates accused-appellant’s status to that of a special class, it also would be a mockery of the purposes of the correction system.”
From the same ruling, Pimentel addressed the issue about the mandate that Trillanes got from more than 11 million Filipinos who elected him last May 14.
The pertinent part of the Jalosjos case ruling reads: “When the voters of his district elected the accused-appellant to Congress, they did so with full awareness of the limitation on his freedom of action. They did so with knowledge that he could achieve only such legislative results which he could accomplish within the confines of prison.”
As regards the other requests, Pimentel said the Supreme Court had in fact pointed out in the Jalosjos case ruling that it was wrong to allow the jailed lawmaker to hold an office at the New Bilibid Prison and accept visitors from among his constituents there.
“Being a detainee, accused-appellant should not even have been allowed by the prison authorities at the National Penitentiary to perform these acts,” Pimentel quoted the SC ruling to have stated.
He also pointed out that while the Marine Brig has recommended for allowing Trillanes to attend Senate sessions, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., acting as the main custodian of the military, overruled it.
“While we have always professed non-obstruction, in any manner, of the election and the actual performance by him of his duties in accordance with his popular mandate, we cannot, however, allow a political office to be established inside a military installation/detention facility as a measure to insulate the organization and its members from political partisanship,” Pimentel quoted Esperon’s comment.
Moreover, Pimentel said the access to media of Trillanes was already agreed upon by him, the court and the defense through a consensus that it will only be up this proclamation by the Commission on Election (Comelec).
Trillanes was proclaimed by the Comelec as the 11th winning Senator for the 14th Congress last June 15.
He is currently in jail due to his coup d’ etat case before Pimentel’s sala and another military case at the General Court Martial (violation of Articles of War 96 or conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman), both stemming from his lead participation in the July 2003 Oakwood Mutiny.
Trillanes has been deemed resigned from the organization when he filed his candidacy for the elective post in February of this year. He used to hold the rank of a Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade.
Reached for comment, Atty. Reynaldo Robles, lawyer of Trillanes, said they will file a motion for reconsideration on Pimentel’s ruling, believing that the judge is “fair.”
“I talked to him (Trillanes) and he considers it a temporary setback. He really wants to serve the people,” Robles said in a phone interview.
But Robles said Trillanes has already begun working as a Senator through his staff members, who visits him very often.
“He is not missing much because the Senate is still organizing itself,” Robles said. The Senate was formally opened last July 23.
Robles disclosed that in fact, just yesterday morning, Trillanes filed another bill that rewards restaurants if they donate their excess food to charities.
Esperon, for his part, would not admit that he is happy about the decision even if he is for it.
“What is important is it goes with my reasoning that he should not be allowed to leave because of his offense… I have always said that the election to office does not change the status of the respondent,” Esperon said.
While the military chief acknowledged the fact that the ruling will surely give Trillanes “a handicap in performing his duties,” the decision of the court should be respected.
“He himself and those who voted for him knows (that he will have this handicap),” Esperon said of Trillanes./DMS
July 30, 2007
A court in Makati City denied the plea of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to attend sessions at the Senate building in Pasay City, set up an office in his detention cell, accept staff members there, and grant media interviews.
In an 11-page order dated July 25, 2007 but released only Monday, Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 said granting the requests of Trillanes would be like treating him differently from other inmates.
Pimentel based his decision on the ruling of the Supreme Court in the case of former Zamboanga del Norte Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, a convicted child rapist, which goes in part: “Allowing accused-appellant to attend Congressional sessions and committee meetings for five days or more in a week will virtually make him a free man with all the privilege appurtenant to his position. Such an aberrant situation not only elevates accused-appellant’s status to that of a special class, it also would be a mockery of the purposes of the correction system.”
From the same ruling, Pimentel addressed the issue about the mandate that Trillanes got from more than 11 million Filipinos who elected him last May 14.
The pertinent part of the Jalosjos case ruling reads: “When the voters of his district elected the accused-appellant to Congress, they did so with full awareness of the limitation on his freedom of action. They did so with knowledge that he could achieve only such legislative results which he could accomplish within the confines of prison.”
As regards the other requests, Pimentel said the Supreme Court had in fact pointed out in the Jalosjos case ruling that it was wrong to allow the jailed lawmaker to hold an office at the New Bilibid Prison and accept visitors from among his constituents there.
“Being a detainee, accused-appellant should not even have been allowed by the prison authorities at the National Penitentiary to perform these acts,” Pimentel quoted the SC ruling to have stated.
He also pointed out that while the Marine Brig has recommended for allowing Trillanes to attend Senate sessions, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr., acting as the main custodian of the military, overruled it.
“While we have always professed non-obstruction, in any manner, of the election and the actual performance by him of his duties in accordance with his popular mandate, we cannot, however, allow a political office to be established inside a military installation/detention facility as a measure to insulate the organization and its members from political partisanship,” Pimentel quoted Esperon’s comment.
Moreover, Pimentel said the access to media of Trillanes was already agreed upon by him, the court and the defense through a consensus that it will only be up this proclamation by the Commission on Election (Comelec).
Trillanes was proclaimed by the Comelec as the 11th winning Senator for the 14th Congress last June 15.
He is currently in jail due to his coup d’ etat case before Pimentel’s sala and another military case at the General Court Martial (violation of Articles of War 96 or conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman), both stemming from his lead participation in the July 2003 Oakwood Mutiny.
Trillanes has been deemed resigned from the organization when he filed his candidacy for the elective post in February of this year. He used to hold the rank of a Navy Lieutenant Senior Grade.
Reached for comment, Atty. Reynaldo Robles, lawyer of Trillanes, said they will file a motion for reconsideration on Pimentel’s ruling, believing that the judge is “fair.”
“I talked to him (Trillanes) and he considers it a temporary setback. He really wants to serve the people,” Robles said in a phone interview.
But Robles said Trillanes has already begun working as a Senator through his staff members, who visits him very often.
“He is not missing much because the Senate is still organizing itself,” Robles said. The Senate was formally opened last July 23.
Robles disclosed that in fact, just yesterday morning, Trillanes filed another bill that rewards restaurants if they donate their excess food to charities.
Esperon, for his part, would not admit that he is happy about the decision even if he is for it.
“What is important is it goes with my reasoning that he should not be allowed to leave because of his offense… I have always said that the election to office does not change the status of the respondent,” Esperon said.
While the military chief acknowledged the fact that the ruling will surely give Trillanes “a handicap in performing his duties,” the decision of the court should be respected.
“He himself and those who voted for him knows (that he will have this handicap),” Esperon said of Trillanes./DMS
MILF commander, two men killed in ambush by colleagues, says police
By Ronron
July 30, 2007
A commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and his two men were killed in an ambush allegedly by his colleagues in Maguindanao province on Sunday noon.
Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, commander of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, said yesterday that the incident happened along the shores of Sitio Sampakan, Barangay Buliok in Pagulangan town.
The victims, identified as MILF commander Basher Mustapha and his men, Anwar Mustapha and Max Konowa, were aboard a motorbanca with other comrades and had just docked when fired upon by undetermined number of suspects.
Goltiao identified the perpetrators as members of another MILF command headed by a certain Bangkong Ali, and the motive is allegedly connected to a conflict on a territorial jurisdiction.
Goltiao said the suspects escaped but has no details yet as to how.
The MILF is currently talking peace with the government as it seeks autonomy. The group’s relations with the government is presently being tested by the July 10 incident in Basilan wherein the MILF owned up the clash with Marine forces.
Fourteen soldiers died in the incident, 10 of whom were beheaded.
The MILF denied the beheading./DMS
July 30, 2007
A commander of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and his two men were killed in an ambush allegedly by his colleagues in Maguindanao province on Sunday noon.
Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, commander of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, said yesterday that the incident happened along the shores of Sitio Sampakan, Barangay Buliok in Pagulangan town.
The victims, identified as MILF commander Basher Mustapha and his men, Anwar Mustapha and Max Konowa, were aboard a motorbanca with other comrades and had just docked when fired upon by undetermined number of suspects.
Goltiao identified the perpetrators as members of another MILF command headed by a certain Bangkong Ali, and the motive is allegedly connected to a conflict on a territorial jurisdiction.
Goltiao said the suspects escaped but has no details yet as to how.
The MILF is currently talking peace with the government as it seeks autonomy. The group’s relations with the government is presently being tested by the July 10 incident in Basilan wherein the MILF owned up the clash with Marine forces.
Fourteen soldiers died in the incident, 10 of whom were beheaded.
The MILF denied the beheading./DMS
Two soldiers killed, seven wounded in clash with NPA in Sorsogon
By Ronron
July 30, 2007
Two government troopers were killed while seven others were wounded in an encounter with suspected communist rebels from late Sunday evening until before dawn Monday in Sorsogon province.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno from the Southern Luzon Command said the incident happened from 10pm until 2am at the boundary of Juban and Magallanes towns.
“A platoon of soldiers belonging to the 2nd Infantry Battalion (of the Philippine Army) were conducing combat operations when fired upon by undetermined number of communist terrorists,” Parayno said.
Parayno refused to identify the two killed soldiers pending notification of their next of kin, but those wounded include the platoon leader, a certain Lt. Dumaog, and six of his men, identified as Corporals Depante and Agagad, Privates Aguila and Palencia, and, Privates First Class Cereno and Bermido.
He said all seven were brought to Sorsogon Doctor’s Hospital for medical treatment.
Parayno said 2nd IB commander Lt. Col. Benigno Antonio ordered the dispatch of more troops to corner the suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) but there is no immediate report of casualties on the side of the rebels.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years and the government hopes to crush it by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.
Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former was tagged as a terrorist by foreign governments./DMS
July 30, 2007
Two government troopers were killed while seven others were wounded in an encounter with suspected communist rebels from late Sunday evening until before dawn Monday in Sorsogon province.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno from the Southern Luzon Command said the incident happened from 10pm until 2am at the boundary of Juban and Magallanes towns.
“A platoon of soldiers belonging to the 2nd Infantry Battalion (of the Philippine Army) were conducing combat operations when fired upon by undetermined number of communist terrorists,” Parayno said.
Parayno refused to identify the two killed soldiers pending notification of their next of kin, but those wounded include the platoon leader, a certain Lt. Dumaog, and six of his men, identified as Corporals Depante and Agagad, Privates Aguila and Palencia, and, Privates First Class Cereno and Bermido.
He said all seven were brought to Sorsogon Doctor’s Hospital for medical treatment.
Parayno said 2nd IB commander Lt. Col. Benigno Antonio ordered the dispatch of more troops to corner the suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) but there is no immediate report of casualties on the side of the rebels.
The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years and the government hopes to crush it by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.
Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former was tagged as a terrorist by foreign governments./DMS
Authorities ready to arrest MILF, ASG suspects Tuesday
By Ronron
July 30, 2007
Authorities are prepared to effect the arrest today (Tuesday) of selected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) even as the ceasefire committee of the government and the MILF has yet to finish its investigation on the July 10 incident in Basilan that killed 14 soldiers, 10 of whom were mutilated.
Regional Police commander in the Autonomous Muslim Mindanao, Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, and Basilan Provincial Police commander Sr. Supt. Alex Macapantar separately told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday afternoon that no order from higher authorities have so far reached them about not proceeding with the serving of the arrest warrants today.
“We, the PNP (Philippine National Police), will be serving the arrest warrants tomorrow (Tuesday)… The standing order was to implement it (serving) tomorrow and there is no order not to serve it,” Goltiao said.
“If there is no blocking (order) today or tomorrow, we have to go,” Macapantar said for his part.
On Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to hold off until Monday the serving of the arrest warrant against the suspects behind the July 10 incident to give way to the investigation by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the MILF.
Arroyo said the arrest warrants will be served by the PNP, backed up strongly by military troops.
But the President said the operations against the suspects from the ASG will continue.
That same day, the six-man fact-finding mission of the CCCH kicked off its investigation and as of yesterday, it has yet to be finished, said MILF-CCCH chairman Von al-Haq.
“We have not yet finished. We expect more witnesses tomorrow,” al-Haq said in a phone interview yesterday.
Al-Haq said his counterpart with the government, Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, has already relayed their concern to government peace negotiator with the MILF, retired Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, who is expected to convey it with the Philippine executive branch.
“The fact-finding team should not be restrained by any time frame. Otherwise, the investigation will suffer,” al-Haq said.
The mission was tasked to find out the circumstances that led to the July 10 incident, those responsible for the mutilation, and any violation to the ceasefire agreement signed in July 1997. It is also expected to come up with recommendations to avoid an occurrence of the same incident.
In an interview late afternoon yesterday, AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said the final determination of whether or not the police action will proceed today will be through National Security Adviser and concurrent acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales.
“If it will not push through, you will know it tomorrow (Tuesday),” Esperon said. “But as of now, there is no directive to halt it (serving the arrest warrants).”
Esperon said Gonzales is expected to make an announcement about it today in Zamboanga City.
The military chief said he has received information from the Cabinet earlier in the day that the CCCH fact-finding mission is asking for one or two days of extension to their investigation period.
In response to that, Esperon said he submitted his recommendation to Gonzales, but refuses to disclose it to reporters.
Macapantar said he already received at around 10:30 am yesterday (Monday) the arrest warrants against 127 persons issued by Judge Leo Jay Principe of the 9th Judicial Region court, Branch 1 in Basilan last July 26.
Macapantar said the warrants is based on the multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder case filed by the AFP before the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office.
“It is different from the case we filed here last Thursday but we have the same respondents,” Macapantar said in Filipino. The case filed by the Basilan Police has only identified 16 MILF and ASG fighters, while the rest are “John Does.”
He said they are already prepared to serve the arrest warrants, especially that the law gives police 10 days only to notify the judge of their action to the warrant.
“It is very shameful if we don’t implement that,” Macapantar said.
Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) commandant Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga warned that if their targets resist the arrest, then “fighting will start.”
Esperon told reporters in an interview earlier in the day that the internal probe of the AFP on the July 10 incident, conducted by various Inspector Generals, found that what happened was an “ambush” that later become a firefight, as the military had initially claimed.
“Our troops were on the road. They were aboard vehicles. They were not in the offense mode. And so, if indeed there was an intrusion in their (MILF) territory, the right thing to do would have been to file a protest,” Esperon said.
But he said they are still validating the data they got as regards those responsible for the mutilation.
The investigation also found “a need for some action on the armaments and some ammunition that we have.” It can be recalled that during the firefight, some 81 mm mortars of the engaged Marine troopers failed to fire.
“We have taken the corrective measures,” Esperon said./DMS
July 30, 2007
Authorities are prepared to effect the arrest today (Tuesday) of selected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) even as the ceasefire committee of the government and the MILF has yet to finish its investigation on the July 10 incident in Basilan that killed 14 soldiers, 10 of whom were mutilated.
Regional Police commander in the Autonomous Muslim Mindanao, Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, and Basilan Provincial Police commander Sr. Supt. Alex Macapantar separately told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview yesterday afternoon that no order from higher authorities have so far reached them about not proceeding with the serving of the arrest warrants today.
“We, the PNP (Philippine National Police), will be serving the arrest warrants tomorrow (Tuesday)… The standing order was to implement it (serving) tomorrow and there is no order not to serve it,” Goltiao said.
“If there is no blocking (order) today or tomorrow, we have to go,” Macapantar said for his part.
On Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to hold off until Monday the serving of the arrest warrant against the suspects behind the July 10 incident to give way to the investigation by the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) of the government and the MILF.
Arroyo said the arrest warrants will be served by the PNP, backed up strongly by military troops.
But the President said the operations against the suspects from the ASG will continue.
That same day, the six-man fact-finding mission of the CCCH kicked off its investigation and as of yesterday, it has yet to be finished, said MILF-CCCH chairman Von al-Haq.
“We have not yet finished. We expect more witnesses tomorrow,” al-Haq said in a phone interview yesterday.
Al-Haq said his counterpart with the government, Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, has already relayed their concern to government peace negotiator with the MILF, retired Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia, who is expected to convey it with the Philippine executive branch.
“The fact-finding team should not be restrained by any time frame. Otherwise, the investigation will suffer,” al-Haq said.
The mission was tasked to find out the circumstances that led to the July 10 incident, those responsible for the mutilation, and any violation to the ceasefire agreement signed in July 1997. It is also expected to come up with recommendations to avoid an occurrence of the same incident.
In an interview late afternoon yesterday, AFP chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. said the final determination of whether or not the police action will proceed today will be through National Security Adviser and concurrent acting Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales.
“If it will not push through, you will know it tomorrow (Tuesday),” Esperon said. “But as of now, there is no directive to halt it (serving the arrest warrants).”
Esperon said Gonzales is expected to make an announcement about it today in Zamboanga City.
The military chief said he has received information from the Cabinet earlier in the day that the CCCH fact-finding mission is asking for one or two days of extension to their investigation period.
In response to that, Esperon said he submitted his recommendation to Gonzales, but refuses to disclose it to reporters.
Macapantar said he already received at around 10:30 am yesterday (Monday) the arrest warrants against 127 persons issued by Judge Leo Jay Principe of the 9th Judicial Region court, Branch 1 in Basilan last July 26.
Macapantar said the warrants is based on the multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder case filed by the AFP before the Zamboanga City Prosecutor’s Office.
“It is different from the case we filed here last Thursday but we have the same respondents,” Macapantar said in Filipino. The case filed by the Basilan Police has only identified 16 MILF and ASG fighters, while the rest are “John Does.”
He said they are already prepared to serve the arrest warrants, especially that the law gives police 10 days only to notify the judge of their action to the warrant.
“It is very shameful if we don’t implement that,” Macapantar said.
Philippine Marine Corps (PMC) commandant Maj. Gen. Nelson Allaga warned that if their targets resist the arrest, then “fighting will start.”
Esperon told reporters in an interview earlier in the day that the internal probe of the AFP on the July 10 incident, conducted by various Inspector Generals, found that what happened was an “ambush” that later become a firefight, as the military had initially claimed.
“Our troops were on the road. They were aboard vehicles. They were not in the offense mode. And so, if indeed there was an intrusion in their (MILF) territory, the right thing to do would have been to file a protest,” Esperon said.
But he said they are still validating the data they got as regards those responsible for the mutilation.
The investigation also found “a need for some action on the armaments and some ammunition that we have.” It can be recalled that during the firefight, some 81 mm mortars of the engaged Marine troopers failed to fire.
“We have taken the corrective measures,” Esperon said./DMS
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